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If #10 plays and #50 sits.... I'm picking my Aces to win by 3.
#AcesAces

Agree he is a much better player and a tougher match up for WSU to counter. But I just don't see enough hasses in the stable. I'm thinking UE gives us a good run in the first half, but wears down in the second half and runs out of gas as WSU's depth continues to show and grow. However, this would seem to be the last best chance for the MVC to put a loss on the best team in Kansas.

I'm interested to see the line for this game. I wouldn't put WSU at any less than a 10 point favorite. I hope Evansville can keep it close late into the second half at least.

Does anyone recall the line on the first game, for some reason WSU -8.5 seems to stick in my head. Granted WSU was just getting Van Vleet back and it was early in conference play but that number seems to stick out in my head.

When Evansville has struggled this season, it's been mostly short bursts that have done them in. The Indiana State loss, ISU got hot early and had a sizable early advantage. Then they closed the 1st half on a 13-0 run after UE clawed their way back to a one point game. For me that's the biggest key for Evansville, avoiding a WSU run that over the length of the run WSU outscores UE by 8+ points.

The Shockers are tough, regardless of the arena they play in. The one thing this Aces group has done really well that the Aces of the past few seasons seem to have struggled with is once they do get hit, they take the run and continue to play and not let a 8-0 run turn into a 15-20 deficit rather quickly.

I posted this on the UE board but I wonder if the SIU game was the best thing to happen to them before this game. A comeback victory with a lot of emotion. WSU is a grind because of the way they defend and make you defend. It's going to be a battle for Evansville but it's been too long since a conference game had the meaning that this one did because at least in my mind this is a validation game which granted it's only one game. I'm sure that an Evansville win starts to play the narrative that the MVC is not a lock for the Shockers by some national people while a WSU win plays up the it's a one bid league WSU isn't losing to anyone, etc.

There is a lot of excitement about this UE team and in particular this game. The result of the first game was not what I was hoping for but it was a great battle. Hoping for another close, tight battle, just with a different result.

I remember a month ago, when SIU was welcoming WSU into a sold out arena,the buzz was off the charts for the team. Then we were down 33 points...won't make that mistake again. I won't believe WSU can lose a valley game until they actually do.

Purple Aces wrote:If #10 plays and #50 sits.... I'm picking my Aces to win by 3.
#AcesAces

A good plan.

In the last game against SIU, #50 drove the baseline and scored 2 points on the first play of the game.

On the following play, #50 gave up a 2 point bucket with poor defense and compounded the matter by fouling the shooter.

#50 scored 2 and gave up 3 in less that a minute.

James__SIU wrote:I'm interested to see the line for this game. I wouldn't put WSU at any less than a 10 point favorite. I hope Evansville can keep it close late into the second half at least.

Vegas opens with WSU @-1.5

Wow. I'm surprised but they usually know what they are talking about. Id expect it to move a few points. I got Wichita by double digits.

James__SIU wrote:Wow. I'm surprised but they usually know what they are talking about. Id expect it to move a few points. I got Wichita by double digits.

It was a close game in Wichita.

We shall see, but I think WSU has elevated their game quite a bit in the last couple of weeks, and is just starting to realize how good they can be.

The Super Bowl script has played itself out before. This isn't the first sold out, *big* game WSU players have played in front of. We've had opponents come into this situation on fire with their fans having wet dreams the night before.

I'm not saying WSU can't or won't lose because it's possible. Evansville plays a difficult brand of basketball. But I've seen the opposite result hold true more times than not in the last half-decade.